Thompson/Center Arms, Inc. manufactures a line of rifles and hand guns that permits the user to interchange the barrels on a single gun stock. This ability to interchange barrels allows a hunter to maintain one gun stock while providing the flexibility to use different caliber ammunition depending on the game being hunted. For a target shooter, this interchangeability allows the shooter to interchange barrels of varying lengths and calibers depending on the targets being shot and the shooter""s individual preferences. This flexibility to interchange barrels has the advantages described above, but also presents a number of disadvantages to the owner of the weapon.
The conventional method of storing a barrel that is separated from a gun is to place the barrel into a gun xe2x80x98sockxe2x80x99. A gun sock consists of a tube of soft material, such as cotton or nylon, that protects the outer surface of the gun barrel from being marred. The sock, with the barrel enclosed, is typically placed in a corner of a gun cabinet or safe. Storage of the barrel in a gun sock protects the surface of the barrel, but it subjects the barrel to other potential damage. In one instance, the gun sight on the barrel can be knocked out of alignment by being jarred by other barrels being placed in a corner of the gun cabinet or safe. This requires the user of the gun to check and realign the sight every time the barrel is removed from storage. Realigning the sight is a tedious process. However, if the gun sight is not properly aligned, a hunter could discharge the weapon with the resulting shot missing the target. This misaligned shot also has the potential of damaging private property or hitting a bystander. If the sight is misaligned, a target shooter will have poor target scores.
Additionally, a gun barrel leaning against the corner of a gun cabinet or safe may fall or get hit by a falling weight. This has the potential of causing damage to the gun barrel. Gun manufacturers warn gun users that a barrel that has been struck must be inspected prior to use to assure that there is no damage or obstruction to the gun barrel. Failure to perform this inspection can result in injury to the shooter or a bystander.
In addition to storing the separated barrels, there are limited means available to support a gun barrel that has been removed from the gun when the user performs routine maintenance. The most common means available consists of securing the gun barrel with a vise. This method of securing the barrel can result in marring to the surface of the gun, and does not provide the most effective support possible.
For the reasons discussed above, a holder that supports a gun barrel in a gun cabinet or safe, that minimizes the risk that the gun will be damaged or, that the sight will be knocked out of alignment, and could also be used for holding the barrel for routine maintenance and cleaning, would be a major advantage.